1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for permanently connecting optical fibers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting optical fibers without employing fusion welding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a prior art optical fiber connector that does not employ fusion welding is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 60-119514/1985. A connector of this type is illustrated in FIGS. 6a and 6b. FIG. 6a illustrates an adaptor for the connector and FIG. 6b illustrates a plug housing. As shown in those figures, the prior art connector consists of an optical connector ferrule 12 for positioning the center of an optical fiber core 11, a housing 13 for accommodating the optical connector ferrule 12, a coupler 14 for fastening the optical connector ferrule 12 to a housing 13, and an adaptor 15 into which the optical connector ferrule 12 may be inserted to center the optical fiber prior to coupling.
However, prior art optical fiber connectors such as those illustrated in FIGS. 6a and 6b have a number of disadvantages. For example, their multipart construction makes them very expensive to produce. In addition, their use is difficult and requires a long time, about an hour, because an end surface polishing jig must be used before the connection can be made. Moreover, the connections made by such a device are relatively low in quality, resulting in an average loss in single mode fibers of about 1 decibel. Furthermore, there is a great variation in the quality of connections made by such devices, resulting from such external factors as vibrations, bending, tension, and other factors.